Superstructure for pallets



1961 c. N. FRASER ET AL 2,994,500

SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR PALLETS Filed June 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig 3.].

17 l Fig.4.

INVENTORS Charles M FI LZSQI".

BY W 6 ATTORNEY Aug- 1, 1 1 c. N. FRASER ETAL SUPERSTRUCTURE FOR PALLETS2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1959 INVENTORS Charles MHGZSGI"- MearlWFoWLer ATTORNEY United States Patent Army Filed June 18, 1959, Ser. No.821,337 13 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code(1952), see. 266) The invention described herein, if patented, may bemanufactured and used by or for the Government for governmentalpurposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in material supports ofthe type known as pallets, and more particularly to a superstructure foruse with such pallets.

In the use of materials handling pallets, the eflicient utilization ofspace often requires the stacking of loaded pallets one above the otherin vertical tiers, and frequently the material upon the pallet cannotsupport the weight of the loaded pallets above it. In order to keep theweight of the upper loaded pallets from crushing the material on thelower pallets, it is desirable to provide the pallets with asuperstructure to support the upper pallets, without transmitting theweight of such upper pallets to the material supported on the lowerpallets.

An important object of the present invention is to provide asuperstructure of the above-mentioned type which will safely support theweight of a plurality of loaded pallets above it in a vertical tier.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a palletsuperstructure which is readily removable from the pallet, which may befolded or knocked down for shipment or storage, which can be easilymounted on the pallet, and which is strong and stable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification,and wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a pallet having a superstructureembodying one form of the present invention mounted thereon, one of theconnecting straps being shown in a raised position for convenience ofillustration;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view looking down on thetop of one of the connecting straps in its operative position;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,parts being broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical section at right angles to FIGURE 3and taken on the line of FIG- URE 3, parts being shown as broken away;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrating a modified formof the connecting strap;

FIGURE 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5,the strap being illustrated in raised position in dotted lines and inlowered operative P sition in full lines, parts being broken away;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, illustrating a furthermodification of the connecting strap;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical sectional view on the line 88 of FIGURE 7, partsbeing broken away;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 9-9 ofFIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the superstructure in its foldedposition ready for storage or shipment without dismantling, the angleiron base members of the end frames being partially removed to bettershow the position of the connecting straps.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 11 denotes apallet which is illus' trated as of the conventional form of woodenpallet which has parallel stringers 12, usually three in number, baseboards 13 and spaced deck boards 14'. Although the deck boards may varywidely in widths, the outer ones cus tomarily are of the same width sothat the first gap or space between the deck boards at each side of thepallet will occur in the same relative position in the great majority ofpallets of the same size. Articles, packages, and materials of variouskinds are piled upon the deck boards 14, and when it is desired to movethe loaded pallet, the forks of a lift truck are placed between thestringers and between the base and deck boards so that the loaded palletcan be lifted, moved and placed in the desired position withoutinterfering with the material resting upon the pallet.

The pallet superstructure comprises a pair of end frames removablyconnected at their upper ends by suitable top rails. The end frames eachcomprise a pair ofspaced tubular uprights 15 welded to a base runner 16which is preferably in the form of an angle iron adapted to rest uponthe top ends of the deck boards and extend down the ends of the palletin engagement or close proximity to the end stringers 12. The uprights15 of each frame are connected by a horizontal cross bar 17 welded tothe sides of the uprights. Two top rails 18 are usually formed fromangle iron and provided adjacent each end with depending sleeves 19 openat their lower ends so as to telescopically, rotatably and removablyreceive the upper ends of the tubular uprights 15. The top rails 18serve to space and brace the upper ends of the side frames and also forma supporting surface upon which the next pallet in the tier may rest.The construction thus far described is usual, but variations occur inthe manner in which the superstructure is secured to the pallet in theposition illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Because of the weight of loaded pallets supported by' the superstructureand of the height to which the pallets are often tiered, it is essentialthat the superstructure be very stable when mounted upon the pallet.Other desirable features are that the superstructure be removablyassociated with the pallet, that it be readily mountable on andremovable from the pallet, preferably by one-.-

man, and that it can be knocked down or folded for transportation orstorage. For the purpose of 'this invention, it is highly desirable,although notessential, that the spacing of the tubular uprights 15 ofeach of the end frames coincide with the spacing of the slots or gapsadjacent the outermost deck boards as shown in FIGURE :1, so that theend frames can be placed on the pallet with such uprights arranged inalignment With the outermost deck slots. In order to permit adjustableplacement of the end frames on the pallet to align the uprights 15withthe deck slots, the base angle irons 16 may be of a length somewhatless than the length of the stringers 12 which determine the width ofthe pallet so that some adjustment is permitted without the necessity ofthe angle irons '16 projecting beyond the ends of the stringers.

In order to maintain the end frames firmly in position on the palletwithout spreading of the lower portions of the end frames under load, itis proposed to connect the end frames by a suitable tie-rod or strapextending lengthwise of the pallet and so arranged as not to interferewith packages or material carried by the pallet. One method ofconnecting the end frames is by securing the tie-rod. or strap to one ofthe tubular uprights 15 of each end frame. Although one tie-rod issuflicient to hold the end frames in position on the pallet withoutspreading of the frames to an extent that would permit dislodgment ofthe superstructure, two tie-rods are desirable when they are attached tothe tubular uprights, because of the fact that the tubular uprights arepositioned near the ends of the end frames.

The tie-rods may take various forms, but in FIGURES I to 4 and eachtie-rod is shown as a strap 20 of metal or other suitable material whichis of a width somewhat less than the width of the slots or gaps betweenadjacent deck boards so that the strap may be freely positioned in suchslots. In order for the strap 20 to engage the tubular uprights 15, itis twisted adjacent each end through an angle of 90 so that when themain portion of the strap is in a horizontal position, its twisted endswill be disposed in an edgewise position in a vertical plane withrespect to the central portion of the strap. In addition, the twistedends of the strap 20 are offset upwardly with respect to the centralportion of the strap as best shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, and the twistedoffset ends are bent into vertical end loops or collars 21 adapted tofit about the uprights 15. The collars 21 are of a size to permitsliding movement axially of the upright and rotational movementthereabout.

It will be seen by reference to FIGURES l and 10 that the two end framesconnected by the two rails 18 and the two tie-rods 20 form aparallelogram which may be collapsed or folded as shown in FIGURE 10 byreason of rotational movement of the uprights 15 with respect to therail sleeves '19 and the rod collars 21. If it is desired to separatethe side frames from the top rails and tie-rods, the collars 21 may beeasily opened by inserting a'suitable tool such as a strong screw-driverbetween the uprights and the extreme ends of the tie-rods to pry openthe collars 21. The top rails are merely lifted ofi the ends of theuprights. When installing the tie-rods, the open collars 21 are placedabout the uprights and tapped closed by means of a hammer or the like.

When mounting the superstructure on a pallet, the angle-irons 16 areplaced on top of the deck boards at each end of the pallet so that theyextend down the outer surface of the end stringers 12. If the top railsand tie-rods are in place on the side frames, it is only necessary toadjust the side frames to bring the uprights into alignment with theouter slots between the deck boards, at which time the tie-rods can bedropped into the slots, as shown at the right of FIGURE 1 and in FIGURES3 and 4. When either of the tie-rods is positioned in one of the deckslots, it serves to hold the two end frames against movement laterallywith respect to.

the deck boards and slots. When in their operative position within thedeck board slots, the major portions of the tie-rods are below the topsurface of the deck boards and will not interfere with material orpackages carried by the pallet. The twisted portions connecting the mainportions of the rods to collars 21 are disposed at the ends of thepallet where they will not be in the way. The tie-rods not only preventmovement of the side frames along the ends of the pallet but alsoprevent spreading of the side frames under load, and consequently holdthe side frames in place on the pallet.

1 When for any reason, the two outer deck slots are not separation.

properly spaced so as to be capable of alignment with the two uprights15 of each end frame, the superstruc ture can be positioned so that oneof the tie-rods is aligned with a slot so as to fit therein, in whichcase the other tie-rod which cannot be aligned with a slot can bedropped on top of the nearest deck board where articles can be restedupon it, as the thickness of the flat tie-rod is not suflicient to forman obstacle. When the collars 21 are closed, they do not fit the uprightso tightly as to prevent relative movement between upright and collar sothat the tie-rods can be slid vertically up and down the uprights inmounting the superstructure on the pallet. In FIGURE 1, the left-handtie-rod is shown in raised position prior to being lowered into itsslot, while the right-hand tie-rod is in lowered position its slot.

The use of tie-rods formed from strap iron is suggested because of theircheapness and the ease with which they can be formed. However, thetie-rods can take a variey of forms. In FIGURES 5 and 6, in place ofstrap iron, the tie-rod is formed from a metal bar 20' having upwardlyolfset open end collars 21' which may be forged, molded or otherwiseformed, and which may be integral or made separately and welded orotherwise attached to the end portions of the bar 20'. A feature of theoffset collars 21 is the provision of an opening 22 in each collar largeenough to admit one of the uprights 15. Each opening 22 is shown inFIGURE 5 as facing slightly inwardly towards the center of the pallet sothat the base angle irons 16 must be moved towards each other to permitseparation of the collars 21' from the upright 15. The openings 22 alsopreferably face in opposite directions. With this arrangement, thecollars 21' must be engaged with the uprights of the end frames beforethe superstructure is lowered into position on the pallet. Due to theinclination of the collar openings 22, the tierods cannot be separatedinadvertently from the end frames so long as the superstructure is inposition on the pallet, because the ends of the pallet prevent inwardmovement of the base angle irons 16 sufficiently to permit such Thecollars 21' are movable vertically on the uprights 15 and are rotatablethereon so that the superstructure can be folded into the position shownin FIGURE 10. If it is desired to prevent inadvertent removal of thetie-rods from the frames,'the tip ends 23 of the collars 21' may betapped inwardly against the upright 15 to so narrow the openings 22 asto prevent passage of the upright, and may be pried open for separationof the parts when desired.

In FIGURES 7, 8 and 9, the collars 24 are shown as open on oppositesides with no inclination of the openings, and the tip end 25 of theright-hand collar of FIG- URE 7 is shown as tapped inwardly against theupright 15 to prevent inadvertent removal of the tie-rod from theupright, although it may be pried loose when desired. The left-handcollar is shown as open so that it can he swung into engagement with theupright about the axis of its closed collar 24 before being dropped intoposition in its deck slot. When in its operative position, the deckboards prevent movement of the tie-rod in a direction to disengage theopen collar from the upright. Obviously, many other variations in theform of the tie-rods may be made, so long as the tie-rods serve the dualpurpose of preventing movement of the superstructure longitudinally ofthe pallet stringers and of preventing spreading of the base angle ironsunder load suificiently to permit dislodgment of the superstructure fromthe pallet.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes in the size,shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to'without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

We claim:

l. The combination with a pallet having means to support spaced deckboards, of a pallet tiering superstructure comprising a pair of endframes each comprising a base adapted to rest on the end portions of thedeck boards, and uprights carried by the base, said base having adepending side portion adapted to extend below the deck boards at theend of the pallet, a rail connecting the upper portions of the two endframes, and a tie-rod connecting the lower portions of the end frame inproximity to the pallet deck boards and holding the end frames againstrelative spreading movement, the major portion of said tie-rod beingdisposed within the space between two adjacent deck boards to hold thesuperstructure against movement laterally of the deck boards.

2. The combination with a pallet having a base and spaced deck boardssupported .above the pallet base, of a removable pallet tieringsuperstructure comprising a pair of and frames each of which comprises abase runner adapted to rest upon the end portions of the deck boards,and a pair of spaced uprights carried by the base runner, said baserunner having a depending side portion adapted to extend below the deckboards at the end of the pallet, top rails connecting the uprights ofopposite end frames, and a tie-rod connecting the lower portions of theend frames to prevent spreading of the frames under load, the majorportion of the tie-rod being disposed within the space between twoadjacent deck boards and below the upper surface of such deck boards,and said tie-rod having upwardly offset end portions engaging the endframes.

3. The superstructure of claim 2 in which the top rails and tie-rodpivotally engage the end frames to permit folding of the superstructurewhen it is removed from the pallet.

4. The superstructure of claim 2 in which the top rails and tie-rodpivotally and removably engage the end frames to permit folding of thesuperstructure or separation into its component parts.

5. The combination with a pallet having a base and spaced deck boardssupported above the pallet base, of a pallet tiering superstructurecomprising a pair of end frames each of which comprises a base runneradapted to rest upon the end portions of the deck boads, and uprightscarried by the base runner, said base runner having a depending sideportion to extend below the deck boards at the end of the pallet, upperframe connecting means pivotally engaging the upper portion of eachframe, and a lower frame connecting member pivotally connecting thelower portion of each frame in proximity to the pallet deck boards andbracing the lower portions of the end frames against relative spreadingmovement under load applied to the top of the end frame, whereby thesuperstructure may be removed as a unit from the pallet and collapsed bypivotal movement of the end frames at their connection with the upperconnecting means and with the lower connecting member while maintainingthe connection between the various elements of the superstructure, themajor portion of the lower frame connecting member being disposed withinthe space between two adjacent deck boards to hold the superstructureagainst movement laterally of the deck boards.

6. The combination with a pallet having a base and spaced deck boardssupported above the pallet base, of a removable pallet tieringsuperstructure comprising a pair of end frames each of which comprises abase runner adapted to rest upon the end portions of the deck boards,and a pair of spaced tubular uprights mounted upon the base runner inspaced relation to the ends thereof, top rails connecting the uprightsof opposite end frames, a tie-rod engaging the pallet at a point spaceda substantial distance from the side edges of the pallet and connectingthe lower portions of the end frames to prevent spreading of the framesunder load, and upwardly olfset collars carried by the ends of thetie-rod and embracing one upright of each end frame, said collars beingslidable vertically on the uprights, and the major portion of the tie- 6rod being of a width substantially less than the spacing betweenadjacent pallet deck boards and disposed in the space between twoadjacent deck boards to hold the superstructure against sliding movementlaterally with respect to the pallet deck boards.

7. The superstructure of claim 6 in which the tie-rod is formed fromstrap metal the ends of which are twisted into a plane at a right angleto the plane of the major portion of the strap and bent upon itself toform integral collars to receive the uprights of the end frames.

8. The combination with a pallet having a base and spaced deck boardssupported above the pallet base, of a removable pallet tieringsuperstructure comprising a pair of end frames each of which comprises abase runner adapted to rest upon the end portions of the deck boards,and a pair of spaced tubular uprights mounted upon the base runner inspaced relation to the ends thereof, top rails connecting the uprightsof opposite end frames, a tie-rod engaging the pallet at a point spaceda substantial distance from the side edges of the pallet and connectingthe lower portions of the end frames to prevent spreading of the framesunder load, upwardly ofiset collars carried by the ends of the tie-rodand embracing one upright of each end frame, said collars being slidablevertically on the uprights, and a second similarly formed tie-rod havingits end collars embracing the other uprights of the end frames, themajor portion of the length of each tie-rod being of a widthsubstantially less than the spacing betwen adjacent pallet deck boards,and at least one of the tie-rods being disposed in a space betwenadjacent deck boards to hold the superstructure against sliding movementlaterally with respect to the pallet deck boards.

9. The superstructure of claim 8 in which the top rails and tie-rods arepivotally connected to the uprights of the end frames to permit foldingof the superstructure when it is removed from the pallet.

10. The combination with a pallet having a base and spaced deck boardssupported above the pallet base, of a pallet tiering superstructurecomprising a pair of end frames each of which comprises a base runnerresting upon the end portions of the deck boards, and uprights carriedby the base runner, said base runner having a depending side portionextending below the deck boards at the end of the pallet, upper frameconnecting means pivotally engaging the upper portion of each frame, anda lower frame connecting member pivotally connecting the lower portionsof the end frames to hold the end frames against relative spreadingmovement, said lower frame connecting member extending along the topportion of the pallet in spaced relation with the sides of the palletand in substantial engagement with the pallet so that materials placedupon the pallet between the end frames will overlie the lower frameconnecting member which will be maintained in position upon the palletby the weight of such overlying materials, and whereby thesuperstructure may be removed as a unit from the pallet and collapsed bypivotal movement of the end frames at their connection with the upperconnecting means and with the lower connecting member while maintainingthe connection between the various elements of the superstructure.

11. The pallet superstructure of claim 10 in which the upper frameconnecting means and the lower frame connecting member are removablyconnected to the end frames.

12. The combination with a pallet having a base and spaced deck boardssupported above the pallet base, of a removable pallet tieringsuperstructure comprising a pair of end frames each of which comprises abase runner resting upon the end portions of the deck boards, and a pairof spaced tubular uprights mounted upon the base runner in spacedrelation to the ends thereof, top rails connecting the uprights ofopposite end frames, a tie-rod connecting the lower portions of the endframes between their ends to prevent spreading of the frames under load,

said tie-rod extending along the top portion of the pallet insubstantial engagement therewith so that material placed upon the palletbetwen the end frames will overlie the tie-rod which will be maintainedin position upon the pallet by the Weight of such overlying material,and upwardly ofifset collars carried by the end of the tie=rod andembracing one upright of each frame, said collars being slidablevertically on the uprights.

13. The superstructure of claim 12 in which the tierod is formed fromstrap metal the ends of which are twisted into a plane at a right angleto the plane of the main portion of the strap and bent upon itself toform integral collars to receive. the uprights of the end frames.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,579,685 Loose Dec. 25, 1951 2,599,670 Thomas June 10, 1952 2,924,339Skubic Feb. 9, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,089,616 France Oct. 6, 1954

